WAR

Faith groups ‘contribute immensely to society’

AN independent review commissioned by the UK government has found that faith ‘is a force for good’.

According to its report Does Government ‘Do God’?, the review of how government engages with faith found that ‘faith often informs people’s priorities and helps cultivate pro-social sentiments such as kindness, generosity and compassion’.

The report says: ‘Faith-based organisations contribute immensely to the effectiveness and success of government when it attempts to tackle some of the most pressing social challenges, whether poverty, loneliness, mental health or support through the Covid-19 pandemic. In short, faith is a force for good which government cannot afford to ignore.’

However, even though more than half of respondents declared a religion in the 2021 census for England and Wales, the review’s call for evidence found that 53 per cent of people believe freedom of religion or belief is under threat in the UK.

Though the science leaves me baffled, it sounds as if AI has the potential to make certain areas of life better. Easier. More efficient. Who wouldn’t want that?

The more I think about such a question, the more I struggle to answer it.

AI can do great things – especially in medical fields, where it can help to save lives. But I worry about what humanity stands to lose if it relies on AI infinitely. If AI does the hard work so we don’t have to, how will that affect us longterm? If it reduces human error by preventing us from getting things wrong, how will we learn – for ourselves – what is right?

Typically, I’m a fan of anything that makes my life easier, and I rarely embrace challenges that push me beyond my comfort zone. But I have to admit that the hardest experiences I’ve faced over the years have shaped me far more than the easiest. And some problems – ones which I would have rather offloaded to some genius robot – have taught me patience, tolerance and perseverance. They have also prompted me to get better at putting my faith in God, who doesn’t always eradicate my problems, but unfailingly helps me as I work out how to solve them.